


In my time of dying

by Depreshroom



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, I tried :'), Kinda sucks but eh, oh shit there's whump too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27927754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depreshroom/pseuds/Depreshroom
Summary: Toby just wanted his friend to be okay that night. Turns out, he's anything but.
Relationships: Toby Domzalski & Krel Tarron
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	In my time of dying

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first time posting on here, so hopefully I get better as I move along! Thank you to the KSS discord server for helping me choose the title.

“Last chance, you sure you don’t want to just stay at my place?” 

Admittedly, as Toby stared at Gaylen’s Core in the middle of his younger brother-like friend’s lab, he wasn’t so sure about leaving the akiridion alone. Something about leaving an orphaned teenager with the same weapon that helped kill his parents felt a bit off in all honesty-- maybe that was just Toby’s mindset though. Nevertheless, the akiridion repeatedly denied needing someone by his side as he hurriedly rushed around the room, all four arms full as he gathered materials with a huge smile stretching across his face. Perhaps if he had them, the grin would have been stretched from ear to ear. It might’ve been the happiest Toby’s ever seen him since...well, since his parents sacrificed themselves. It was nice seeing a friend okay for once, it seemed like these days his friends could never be alright, and they'd always just have to settle for "alive."

Collecting some supplies, Krel excitedly moved from one side of his lab to the other, setting his stuff in place whilst ensuring the core---which had rather inconveniently taken up the entire right portion of the akiridion’s lab---stayed in its place. “It’s fine, I can take care of myself like always!” said the royal. 

Toby scoffed. “Define ‘like always’,”.

He was never going to forget that time he saw Krel fall off the roof...in his human form. (Of course, when he woke up Steve threatened his life for almost dying and it was all good in the end but still!) The prince-turned-King simply chuckled in response to his friend’s skepticism. It wasn’t reassuring, but seeing the smile stay plastered on his face left Toby no choice but to smile back in defeat.

“I promise, I’m going to be okay.” Krel gave a salute with his upper left hand as both lower hands messed with a piece of tech--wasn’t that the one that burned him in testing a couple of times? After suspiciously eyeing the invention, whose legs popped out from the bottom, they each said goodnight and Toby left to go home--after all, the clock had already hit 12:00 am.

* * *

Toby woke up to hear a booming sound in the distance of the night. He sleepily rolled over in bed until he found his phone, then checked the time. It was 3:00 am. Toby sighed...one day he would get a full night of sleep again. One day. Turning over to lay on his back, he waited in the dark for a little bit. Couldn’t the end of the world wait a little while before bothering him again? 

Suddenly there it went again--only louder. The blast was less distant this time, worrying Toby. After a short debate of whether he should go, the redhead decided to check it out. Keeping on his rather comfortable pajamas and stumbling his way down the stairs, he made it out the door. As soon as his feet hit the road, the smell of smoke and distant yelling led Toby running a few houses down, only picking up his speed when he saw his friends crowded around somebody’s home---or was that a blue...blob? Steve, Jim, and Claire were still in pajama clothes with Jim being the only one who seemed to have made some type of effort to look decent having a blue jacket hanging off his shoulder. _Where was Krel?_ The closer he got to them, the more snippets of their conversation Toby heard.

_“...we have to go...”_

_“...too dangerous…”_

_“...he’s trapped…”_

Finally, Toby made it to where they were standing, “Hey guys what’s happeni-,”. The boy stopped short and gasped as he got a good look at the monstrosity in front of him. The arguing faded to the background as he saw cyan blue flames engulf a smaller house, enlightening what felt like the entire neighborhood. It would have been unrecognizable if not for the robot head rolling towards Steve’s feet, who was noticeably panicked. _Krel’s_ fake parent’s head. 

Toby hadn’t seen a blob, he saw an explosion. and Krel was still inside.

Suddenly, he saw Steve take off into the flames. Not knowing what else to do Toby quickly followed after, ignoring his best friend’s plea for him to come back. 

* * *

Trying his best to avoid the flames, Toby carefully burst into the door, made his way to the “fireplace” which was already open---probably from Steve--- and nearly fell racing just as fast as his heart into the lab, leaving behind the deteriorated, blackened walls of the living room. The fire had just about covered all of the ship. Fortunately, a narrow pathway was formed enough for the trollhunter to squeeze by.

Somewhere inside, apart of Toby blamed himself for Krel's absence. After all, he knew Krel being alone could do no good. Especially not with Gaylen's Core. He didn't know what happened, but his gut told him it wasn't anything good, or maybe that was the flames currently trying to kill him. Either way, his friend was in trouble. After what seemed like an hour--but was most likely just minutes--he finally found Steve, gently cradling Krel in his arms as tears fell down his face. Toby’s worst fears were confirmed true as he ran towards the akiridion, hardly giving thought to his own safety.

“No..no, no, no, _no_!” he murmured softly kneeling down beside the emotional blonde to get a good look at his friend. Lying in Steve’s arms was a more or less, unidentifiable Krel. Instead of his naturally blue skin, blotches of bright red sores plagued his body, and blood flowed freely, _too freely,_ from his lower abdomen. The entirety of his upper body was severely burned as well. _How could this happen? How could he let it happen?_

“Toby?” the royal asked, his voice was raspy, barely above a whisper. Immediately, a tear rolled down the boy’s cheek. 

Toby sniffed. “I’m here” 

Krel smiled as he mustered up just enough strength to form a word, “Good.” Slowly, the akiridion’s eyelids closed, yet in it's burned state, his chest slightly-- _oh so slightly,_ raised and fell, hanging on to it’s life by a thread, simply resting.

Toby panicked. He couldn’t watch his friend die, not here, _not now._ Krel promised he’d be fine tonight…

He promised.

“No wait! Krel, don’t close your eyes okay? You’re going to be alright. We’ll just get you patched up, buy some burritos and we’ll all have a good laugh about this later!” More tears fell as Toby frantically begged his trembling friend to hold on as he slowly lost his battle against death.

Krel's breathing slowed. He said nothing.

By now, Steve was trembling, but still gently held the teen’s head in his lap, murmuring reassuring words. “Goodbye Krel,” he whispered, his voice wavering from tears and sadness, both evident in his face. Toby softly echoed him, and put his hand over the extraterrestrials as Steve wrapped his arm around him.

The akiridion's breathing immediately ceased, as if it found the right time to make it's exit, and Krel's form faded away leaving his friends by themselves in the collapsing ship of what he used to call home. Just like they left him.


End file.
